Delhi govt plans to introduce buses running on biogas, electricity

Presently, different modes of public transports - buses, autorickshaws and taxis - run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Besides, private vehicles also run on CNG and around 5 lakh CNG-run vehicles plying in the capital.PTI | Updated: January 14, 2016, 22:42 IST

NEW DELHI: In a bid to find an alternative to CNG, the Delhi government is mulling introducing buses running on biogas and electricity generated from the city's sewage treatment plants, as part of the pilot project.

Presently, different modes of public transports - buses, autorickshaws and taxis - run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Besides, private vehicles also run on CNG and around 5 lakh CNG-run vehicles plying in the capital.

Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai said in several countries, governments ply their buses on biogas generated through waste, adding that electric buses are also run there.

"In the entire world, there is a debate on which fuel should be used to run public transport so that pollution could be brought down.

"Under the pilot project, government is planning to do an experiment to introduce such buses. We are in a consultation with some companies which are working in this field," the minister said here.

Rai further said that there are four sewage treatment plants in Okhla, Dwarka, Rohini and Kesopur in Delhi and bus depots are located near them.

"If government finalises the plan, these depots will be attached with this STPs which will generate biogas for running buses. We will soon have a coordination meeting with private companies to work out the modalities," the transport minister added.

Rai, who today attended the round table conference on environment friendly bus service in a hotel here, also said, "There are several counteries where vehicles are not run on CNG. Buses run on biogas there using waste. In Delhi, there are several dumps of waste which can be used for generating biogas."

He also added that such practice was being adopted in Stockholm, China, Germany and among other countries.